By Adam Hunt
In December COPA reported that a letter had been sent to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty with our concerns about his plan to mandate ethanol in all auto fuel by 2007.
In part that letter to Premier McGuinty said:
“As a result of extensive research done by Transport Canada in the 1970s and 80s many aircraft are permitted to use automotive fuel under Transport Canada approvals and Aircraft Supplementary Type Certificates (STCs).
In all cases both Transport Canada and the STC documents prohibit the use of automotive fuel that contains ethanol.
Ethanol was shown in research studies to cause engine corrosion, deterioration of fuel system components and vapour locking of fuel systems at altitude resulting in engine failure. Therefore, the use of fuel containing ethanol in aircraft is prohibited by Transport Canada.
Your plan to require all automotive gasoline to contain ethanol will result in a safety problem for those aircraft that rely on it. There may also be other current users of gasoline that also cannot run on ethanol/gasoline mixtures.
The inability to get non-ethanol blended gasoline will also put Ontario aircraft owners at an economic disadvantage as they will have to seek replacement fuels that will cost more.
There needs to be more consultation on this proposal to require ethanol in all gasoline before a decision is made on the subject. Hopefully that consultation will result in gasoline producers being permitted to offer pure gasoline to those users who must have that fuel to operate equipment, such as aircraft.”
ONTARIO PREMIER’S RESPONSE TO COPA
Premier McGuinty responded quickly to COPA’s request for consultation with a letter dated Nov. 3, 2004. In his letter the premier said in part:
“Thanks again for your comments. Be assured that our government will keep looking for the best strategy that emphasizes agricultural marketing opportunities and rural development and that brings new opportunity to Ontario with a stronger domestic ethanol industry.”
The letter makes it clear that the provincial government is going to pursue this ill-thought out policy, regardless of the economical cost to aviation users.
On Nov. 26, in Chatham
Ontario, the premier announced that his ethanol
policy would proceed. This policy was an election promise and, after breaking
another election promise regarding not increasing taxes, the Premier apparently,
is not inclined to abandon any more promises.
Members concerned about this issue can add their voices to COPA’s by writing to Premier Dalton McGuinty, Office of the Premier, Legislative Building, Queen's Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1A1